Bhopal: A group of “cow vigilantes” in a Madhya Pradesh village beat up around two dozen alleged cattle traffickers, then made them do sit-ups and later forced them to chant “Gau mata ki jai”.
As if that was not enough, the cattle transporters were then paraded for around three kilometeres with their hands tied in public glare before being handed over to the local police.
The incident took place in the village of Sanwalikheda in Khandwa district late on Sunday evening, the police said on Monday.
“Two FIRs were filed in the local police station in connection with the incident.
While 24 people transporting the cattle were booked on charges of trafficking the domestic animals illegally, a case was also registered against 13-14 people for assaulting the cattle traffickers”, Khandwa district superintendent of police Shiv Dayal Singh said.
According to him, all the accused named in both the FIRs have been identified from the video showing the entire incident.
The video has gone viral in social media.
All the 24 alleged cattle smugglers were arrested, while four of 14 people allegedly involved in beating the cow transporters have so far been arrested, the police said.
According to the police, 21 trucks used for ferrying the cattle were seized.
The cattle have been shifted to a “gaushala” or cow shelter.
Incidentally, the incident comes in the wake of MP government initiating a move to bring legislation in the ensuing budget session of the House seeking to curb violence in the name of cow protection.
The state cabinet has already approved the proposal to amend the MP Cow Progeny Slaughter Prevention Act, 2004.
Meanwhile, ruling Congress on Monday, slammed the cow vigilantes for subjecting the cattle transporters to inhuman torture under the pretext of protection of cattle.
“Violence in the name of protection of cows will not be tolerated by the Kamal Nath government. The police did the right thing by bringing the two sides to book”, Congress spokesman here Pankaj Chaturvedy said.
